Recession anxiety

The economy isn't just taking a toll on people's bank accounts. Psychologists around the country say they are seeing more and more people with anxiety and depression because of the recession.

At ComPsych, the nation's largest employee assistance mental health program, the demand for therapists surged 40 percent in the last half of last year, according to a report in Monday's USA Today.

"I've never seen this level of anxiety and depression in 22 years of practice," Nancy Molitor, a psychologist in Wilmette, Ill., told the paper. "The mental health fallout has been far worse than after 9/11."

With stress on the rise, so are calls to domestic violence hotlines, the paper reported.

The trend should be a reminder to policymakers that as the economy gets worse, safety-net mental health services will be in increased demand. Cutting such services would be a double-whammy for the increasing numbers of people who are reaching their breaking point.